Holder for set screw wrenches and the like



G. J. STEINE I HOLDER FOR SET SCREW WRENCHES AND THE LIKE Filed Sept. 4, 194a July 22, 1952 2,604,211

J4 *5 J5 16 l a; Z4 l- -I! if J 1 .19 l J5 i in: M W 4 4 A J? it 54 III "I 1 a I INVENTOR. '6 650 93 Patented July 22, 1952 notnsn FOR SET SCREW WRENCHES AND THE LIKE George J. Steine, Glencoe, I'll., assignor to Metal Engineering Company, a corporation of Illinois ApplicationSept/ember 4, 1948, Serial No. 47,816

2 Claims. 1

fhis invention relates to a holder for set screw wrenches and the like. It is adapted to support a plurality of such devices in a position convenient for grasping and removal, all of the wrenches hein exposed to view at all times. The holder simpie and inexpensive to produce; it is light and compact; and in use it is adapted to be placed upona bench or wall with the's'upported wrenches cr-other tools always accessible for inspectionand removal.

The holder comprises a hollow body which may be made of plastic or other material having a top wall whereinis a plurality of holes of progressively increasing sizes arranged adjacent its periphery. Through the top wall is a hole for r ception of a post which depends within the holder to support a compressible resilient disc whose edge lies proximateto an open slot in each of a plurality of vertically extending guides of progressively increasing size, one in register with each hole in the holder top. The shank of a set screw wrench, when pushed downwardly through atop hole of appropriate size'and through its associated guide, will engage the disc adjacent its edge and displace the same inwardly. A frictional pressure directed laterally against the wrench shank will thereby be maintained in a degree suficient to secure the wrench frictionally in place and in any adjusted axial or rotative position. It is largely with a holder having these special characteristics' that my present invention is concerned. k g

. Referring to the accompanying drawings:

I Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved holder showing three wrenches received therein, the top holes for additional wrenches being exposed to view;

Fig. 2 is a central vertical section, taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the holder as it appears when supporting a supply of wrenches and also a pick;

Fig 4: is a transverse section, taken on line l- 3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a transverse section through the modified holder construction of Fig. 6, taken on line 5-5 thereof; and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary vertical section through the holder of Fig. 5.

As herein illustrated, my improved holder comprises a hollow casing made of plastic or other suitable material and formed with side walls [2 and a top wall l4 wherein is a plurality of holes i5 of progressively increasing size arranged prefcrably adjacent its periphery. Through the top wall is a substantially central hole I5 for reception of a post here shown as a double-headed rivet H which extends downwardly through a spacer boss 18 to support therebelowa plurality of compressible resilient discs l9- of rubber or other like displaceable material. I The upper of the two discs shown is separated by the spacer boss I8 from the top wall l4 so as to have capacity for flexing either up or down. The several discs are preferably of the same size and shape, and on the under side of the lower disc is a supporting plate 29 of somewhat lesser diameter.

The edges of the several discs lie proximate to a plurality of open slots 22 each upon the inner side of a verticallyextending guideway 23. These guideways which maybe formed integral with the side walls I2 of the holder casing. interiorly thereof. are of progressively increasing size and in register with the holes if: of corresponding size in the top wall l4 ofthe casing.

When the shank 24 of a set screw wrench, pick, or other tool isinserted through the appropriate hole IS in the casing top wall and pushed downwardly through its associated guideway 23, it is brought into f-rictionalengagement with the edge portion of the severalresilient discs 19, causing each of them to be flexed downwardly, as illustrated in Fig. 2. In consequence, a continuing radially directed force is maintained against each wrench shank 24 at spaced points so as to hold the tool in place frictionally in a desired position both axially and rotatively. When a reverse pull takes place, suflicient to compress each disc inwardly prelimnary to a reverse deflection there'- of, the wrench may be readily removed from the holder.

Fig. 5 which is a sectional view through the holder casing of Fig. 6 shows a modification in the friction disc 39 which is recurrently notched at 29 at points directly below the holes 35 of varying size in the top wall 34. The presence of these notches diminishes the need for guides so that their presence may be omitted, if desired. By the provision of notches 29 in the disc in register with the top holes 35, in conjunction with the adjacent side Walls 32 of the holder casing, a sufficient support is thereby afforded to sustain the shanks of the several wrenches 44 in substantially vertical position. The disc 39 is shown as resting upon a relatively small plate 40 which is carried by a post 31 depending from the holder top wall 34 and through a boss 38 which fixes the position of the disc in spaced relation to the holder top. The action of this disc in exerting a frictional pressure upon the tool shank is the same as already described.

It will be apparent that the present holder makes use of the frictional properties of one or more yielding discs which are both resilient and compressible. The tool to be retained in place is advanced endwise against the edge portion of the friction disc or discs so as to produce a deflection thereoffand also, to some extent, an inward displacement thereof. A very effective friction lock is thereby provided for preventing reverse movement of the tool outwardly from the holder. In order that such a reverse movement may take place each disc is required to be fur?- ther displaced inwardly preliminary to a deflection thereof in the opposite direction, consequently an added force is required to start the reverse movement of the tool when it is to be removed from the holder.

Although the showing in the drawings indicates a holder having a top wall through which the wrenches or other tools are inserted downwardly so as to present their shanks in substantially vertical planes, this is merely one convenient way of constructing'and using the device. It may be preferred, in some instances, that the holder be designed for wall mounting in which case the top wall 14 would be vertically disposed, and the several tools would be inserted by advancing their shanks in substantially horizontal planes.

Accordingly the words upper, lower, top etc., as used throughout this description, are to be considered as relative terms, and not as indi cative of location.

I claim:

1. A holder for set screw wrenches and the like comprising a hollow casing having a top head through which is a plurality of spaced-apart holes of progressively inceasing size, each hole being located proximate to the inside face of a vertical wall of the casing, a plurality of vertical guides within the holder, one in line with each top'hole, each guide having a longitudinal slot opening out upon its inner side, all of said slots lying tangent to a common inside circle and being of such size as to position portions of the exposed shanks of the wrenches within said circle, and a resilient disk of a diameter substantially equal to the diameter of said circle and carried within the holder below the top head thereof and parallel therewith and presenting its periphery adjacent the guide slots for engagement with said portions of the exposed shanks of the wrenches when inserted downwardly through the top holes into the guides therebelow, thereby to exert an outwardly directed pressure against each wrench sufiicient to support it frictionally in place above and in spaced relation with the lower end of the casing, whereby set screw wrenches of different lengths may be firmly and releasably clamped in the holder in suspended relation with the top head.

2. A holder for set screw wrenches and the like comprising a hollowcasing having a top head through which is a plurality of spaced-apart holes of progressively increasing size, each hole being located proximate to the inside face of a vertical wall 01 the casing, a plurality of vertical guides within the holder, one in line with each top hole, each guide having a longitudinal slot opening out upon its inner side, all of said slots lying tangent to a common inside circle and being of such size as to position portions of the exposed shanks of the wrenches within said circle, and a plurality of resilient disks, each of a diameter substantially equal to the diameter of said circle and carried within the holder below the top head thereof and parallel therewith and presenting its periphery adjacent the guide slots for engagement with said portions of the exposed shanks of the wrenches when inserted downwardly through the top holes into the guides therebelow, thereby to exert an outwardly directed pressure against each wrench to support the same in a fixed position within the holder, and common means supporting the two disks at points centrally thereof whereby to leave the disk edges free for deflection in response to engagement by said portions of the exposed shanks of the wrenches.

GEORGE J. S'IEINE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 35,786 Smith July 1, 1862 386,696 Elwell July 24, 1888 540,268 Newell June 4, 1895 1,965,032 Davey July 3, 1934 2,429,305 Barnes Oct. 21, 1947 2,513,894 Rogers July 4, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 5,972 Great Britain A. D. 1914 210,566 Great Britain Feb. 7, 1924 420,968 Great Britain Dec. 11, 1934 

